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SaV Point Nadir
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Scum and Villainy Point Nadir is a shadowport situated in the bowels of a comet. Though ruled by the Anjiliac Hutts and their representatives, Point Nadir is far enough from the beaten path that its governance is largely independent of direct Huttese intervention. In fact, a number of criminal organizations hold sway in Point Nadir, each with different specialties and goals. Its location varies, so Point Nadir can be inserted into a campaign set during any era. Because multiple organizations claim various degrees of control within the shadowport, it is possible for different play groups to impose themselves upon it in their own inimitable fashions. In effect, Point Nadir is a complete location- a hive of scum and villainy, if you will- that is well suited for use in any campaign, at any time, in any place you see fit. Point Nadir Statistics Region: The Outer Rim Climate: Temperate/Controlled Gravity: 13% Standard (Surface), Standard (Artificial Interior) Moons: N/A Length of Day: 24 Standard Hours Length of Year: 7,241 Local Days Population: Approximately 4,000 Sapient Species: 40% Human, 8% Twi'lek, 6% Toydarian, 4% Rodian, 2% Houk, 40% Other Species Government: Point Nadir Council (Criminal Syndicates) Capital: Point Nadir Major Exports: Illegal Goods, Information, Narcotics, Slaves, Weapons Major Imports: Foodstuffs, Illegal Goods, Information, Medicines, Technology Resh 9376 Resh 9376 is a comet that has been logged with the Republic's Bureau of Astronomy for nearly as long as there has been a Republic. Its elliptical course stretches for several light years, and it has been assigned a threat category of 1, defining it as benign. Though it comes close to several inhabited star systems during its orbit, Resh 9376 does not enter any of them. It exhibits few remarkable characteristics, and has thus far been largely ignored by the galactic community. The primary composition of Resh 9376 is a mixture of gypsum, granite, base ores (Such as tin, iron, and lead), and ice.The comet is oblong in shape, roughly 30 kilometers long by 10 kilometers wide. Spectrographic sensor readings indicate that the rear-most portion of Resh 9376 is composed of a large, cavernous interior, accessed by a raised, craterlike opening. Though unconfirmed, it has been postulated that the comet was, at one time, home to a Exogorth or some other heretofore unknown vacuum-adapted organism. Resh 9376 appears visually identical to other comets. Jets of vapor from within the comet's body form a thin atmosphere, or "Coma," around it. These vapor jets become more volatile the closer that Resh 9376 comes to nearby stars due to the increased solar radiation, thereby making the coma more distinct to the naked eye. In some cases, vapor and dust released by the comet form a which makes Resh 9376 even more visible. What the Republic's astronomers- and, indeed, astronomers throughout the galaxy- fail to realize is that Rash 9376 is known colloquially as Point Nadir by a small percentage of the galaxy's criminal element. Point Nadir is a shadowport: an illicit harbor for some of the galaxy's most notorious criminals and infamous villains. The streets of this wandering cesspit are beholden to no laws. except for those that Paint Nadir's crime lords are willing to enforce. History Although Point Nadir has been an established shadowport for centuries, the comet Resh 9376 was discovered over 25,000 years prior to the founding of the colony. The comet was paid little attention by astronomers, explorers, and prospectors alike, and continued its slow ellipse through the galaxy largely undisturbed. With the number of comets moving through galactic space, Resh 9376 was only another stellar body for astrogators to avoid. Resh 9376 was eventually surveyed by an automated Corellian exploration vessel, The Saving Grace. Comet Resh 9376 was scanned, holomapped, and dozens of material samples were taken. Little was remarked in the Saving Grace's files, other than what the vessel's computer referred to as a "Cavernous anomaly in the comet's anterior quadrant, possibly the result of prior habitation." Following nearly twenty-two minutes of close observation, The Saving Grace broadcast its findings back to Corellia in a burst transmission before heading to its next destination. The data was briefly analyzed by Corellian astronomers, then filed away and forgotten. Two hundred years later, a Corellian pirate captain named Salovan Fische came across references to Resh 9376. Intrigued by The Saving Grace's survey, Fische and his band traveled to the comet's current location as detailed in the astrogation charts of the day. The comet was right where it was supposed to be, and appeared exactly as the Saving Grace had reported. The pirates made a complete exploration of the comet, including several forays into the anterior caverns. It was just what Fische was looking for: a mobile base, hidden from prying eyes in an insignificant comet that few individuals consciously knew existed. For the next decade, Fische and his crew used the comet as a base. Initially the accommodations were sparse. Captured ships were lashed to the cavernous interior of the comet and used to store booty. In time, the pirates fashioned several of the smaller caverns into sealed chambers. With their growing wealth, no expense was spared in making Resh 9376 a more comfortable place to lay low. Ever more ambitious, Fische secured a number of Mining Droids, as well as other mining equipment, from a prospecting vessel his crew had claimed as a prize. He began to hollow out the comet more, seeking to create an elaborate port to call his own. Unfortunately for Fische, his luck did not last. Following a series of failed raids against risky merchant convoys, his crew mutinied. Tired of the living conditions on Resh 9376, and demoralized by the current rash of defeats, Fische's crew left him marooned within the comet that had become his obsession. Fische eventually died a hermit, but not before several of his crew sold information concerning the comet to The Anjiliac Clan of Hutts. The Anjiliacs saw potential in Resh 9376, especially since it had already been used as an established headquarters for Fische's band of scalawags. Though the comet was not fully furnished and only partially explored, the pirates told the Hutts tales of Fische's propensity for living the high life and how their captain made his living spaces lavish and decadent. Despite these stories, following up the pirates' claims was low on The Anjiliac Clan's list of priorities. It would be almost a century before the Hutts took an active interest in Resh 9376. Salovan Fische had long since died, but his legacy within the comet remained. Respectable amounts of mining equipment were immediately available, as well as a dozen semifunctional Mining Droids, which had continued to work after Fische's death, prior to shutting down due to lack of maintenance. With their extensive resources and capital, the Anjiliacs were able to take Fische's rudimentary cavern complex and turn it into the focal point of a number of criminal enterprises. The Legacy of Salovan Fische Salovan Fische was marooned on Resh 9376 for nearly six years before he died of unknown causes. In that time, and with the assistance of his Droids, he continued to chip away at the comet's interior, delving deeper and deeper into its core. Because his mining was so extensive, a number of caverns still remain unexplored. Stories are told of Fische's Legacy- a treasure trove of goods and riches secreted away within some unknown cave. The tale is slightly different every time it is told. In one instance, Fische's Legacy consists of booty taken from captured freighters. In another, Fische supposedly uncovered a cavern of priceless gems and ores during the course of his excavations. No one has managed to confirm any of the tales surrounding Fische's Legacy. The leadership of Point Nadir actively discourages what it considers to be trespassing, but this does little to stop enterprising beings from conducting impromptu treasure hunts into the comet's core. Finding Point Nadir For the denizens of Point Nadir, the shadowport's existence is all too real. Once outside the confines of the roaming comet, however, it becomes a more nebulous location, made all the more difficult to locate due to a combination of secrecy and ignorance. Spacers tell tales of asteroids and rogue comets that hide both mystery and fortune, but these stories are as numerous as the millions of drifting bodies that float aimlessly throughout the galaxy. Without specific coordinates to lend them credence, such locations remain little more than anecdotes told by grizzled veterans over mugs of Corellian ale. Yet someone obviously knows about Point Nadir, despite the intense secrecy that surrounds it. Since they are the de facto rulers of Point Nadir, the Anjiliac Hutts are the primary source for information concerning its location. Such information is never given away for free, nor is it likely to filter out into the public sector without the Anjiliacs knowing about it. Through their affiliation with the Anjiliac Kajidic, other Hutt clans possess varying degrees of information about Point Nadir. Such information is valuable to opposing Hutt clans, allowing them to position agents within the shadowport's infrastructure in an attempt to get a piece of their competitor's action. Were the Anjiliac Hutts the only power in Point Nadir, their secret haven might very well remain hidden. As it is, two other criminal organizations- Epsis and The Sable Dawn- exert varying degrees of control over Point Nadir. Even though neither of these organizations wishes to see the secret of Point Nadir blown wide open, they provide additional avenues of approach to heroes who are looking for a way inside. The Sable Dawn might do so by recruiting new agents into its ranks, while Epsis might contract with heroes for delivery of stolen high-tech machinery or gear directly to their docks. Outside the powers that keep the proverbial gears turning in Point Nadir, the shadowport also has regular denizens. Unless they have been flagged as rogue by one of the shadowport's syndicates, Point Nadir's population come and go as they please. As it is, only a scant few have the financial or transportation means to leave when they wish, and it is in their best interests to stay mum when it comes to the topic of Point Nadir. This does not stop word from trickling out, of course, and anyone might overhear a hushed conversation or stumble upon a mysterious set of coordinates. The Call of Point Nadir So here you have it laid out before you: a complete hive of scum and villainy for your players to explore. The question remains, though: How do you get them there? It might not be as simple as it sounds, given the secrecy surrounding Point Nadir. Your best bet is to take a look at the player characters. Who are they, and what do they want to accomplish? What are their current affiliations? What is the most logical route for them to take? If you don't have the time to spare, such as during a short series of games, or during a one-shot scenario, you might let them discover Point Nadir right away, with little fanfare. This is perfectly acceptable, and it allows you to get the most bang for your buck right away. Be sure to let them experience the culture of the place, and to perceive the contrasts between a lawless shadowport and an Imperial-controlled core world. If you are running a campaign, you might even start the players in Point Nadir from the beginning. Be sure to explain the sensitive nature of the shadowport's organization, though. Stress that the beings that control Point Nadir are a vindictive lot who stop at nothing to punish anyone that tells the wrong people of its existence. Most of all, don't be afraid to follow up on such threats. If the heroes go indiscriminately blabbing about Point Nadir, they deserve whatever ill fortune comes their way. If you have the time, though, you might be best served by slowly revealing Point Nadir to the players over the course of several sessions. Provide small clues and hints as they advance. Tempt them with the mystery before you so much as utter the name of the place to their waiting ears. Allow Point Nadir to be the light at the end of the tunnel. To wit, it should be a part of the pay-off for exceptional play. Given the sorts of services that are available in Point Nadir, anything less would be akin to giving it away for free. On Approach Once the heroes know where Point Nadir is, and assuming they have the means to travel there, all that remains is the journey. The location of Resh 9376, the comet that Point Nadir is nestled within, is catalogued and available with all current astrogation data. Public databanks feature little information about Resh 9376, other than it being comet with a galaxy-spanning elliptical orbit. To the casual observer, the comet is not impressive, and no obvious reason for anyone to want to pay it a visit. Since the location of the comet is well documented, getting there is no more difficult than navigating to any other area in The Outer Rim Territories. After leaving Hyperspace, the vast expanse of deep space greets the heroes. Sensors reveal Resh 9376 exactly where it is supposed to be, a dim corona of vapor giving it an eerie illumination against the dark backdrop of space. Sensor readings prove inconclusive, for Point Nadir's interior is screened by a number of cloaking fields. Even though these fields are not true cloaking devices- after all, they do not make the comet invisible- they do block the prying eyes of most sensor systems, including life and composition scanners. This, in and of itself, proves curious to the uninitiated. Meanwhile, Point Nadir's own traffic controllers monitor any craft that emerge from Hyperspace near the comet. All ships are catalogued by Point Nadir Traffic Control, and their individual profiles are added to an extensive database. Craft that are not listed within the database are classified according to type. Specific flight patterns are expected of all craft before Traffic Control gives docking clearance, and anyone who has been invited to Point Nadir, or who has been there before, knows the required flight etiquette. Ships that fail to follow the established flight pattern, but continue to advance upon the comet, are actively scanned and subsequently challenged by Traffic Control. Typically, such craft are ordered to stand down and adopt a parallel course to the comet. Those that comply are either questioned at length prior to being authorized, or (In severe cases) are boarded by a group of Anjiliac thugs so that they can be scrutinized at length, not to mention at gunpoint. Ships that fail to comply with Traffic Control are warned only once before fighters (A mixture of modified Z-95 Headhunters, CloakShape Fighters, and R-41 Starchasers) are scrambled to intercept them. Once scrambled, the fighters rarely return to their berths without drawing blood. Docking and Accommodations Vessels that pass scrutiny are given clearance to dock, and a landing beacon is activated. The beacon is a simple arrangement of transmitters and lights that directs visitors' ships into what is colloquially known as the Jackrab Hole- a large, cavernous opening in the comet's anterior. The Jackrab Hole is more than five hundred meters in diameter, and equipped with atmospheric shielding that holds back the harsh vacuum of open space. Once a ship has passed through the opening, the external beacon is deactivated, leaving the location of the Jackrab Hole hidden once again. Pilots are expected to navigate the length of the cavern with their own sensors, and little direction is provided by Traffic Control. For pilots unfamiliar with the Jackrab Hole, a DC 15 Pilot check is required to avoid colliding with the tunnel walls. The cavern is littered with old wrecks, debris, and scrap, each piece telling the story of another freighter pilot that didn't pay close enough attention to his instruments. The passage winds ever so slightly, cork-screwing gently toward the comet's heart, until finally it opens up into a massive cavern. Known as Fische's Cove, the cavern seems to encompass the entirety of the comet's interior, although it is much smaller. Leads, umbilical cables, and thick durasteel chains float lazily in the null gravity of the Cove, some attached to vessels, others unoccupied. Small ferries and skiffs flit among the docked vessels like insects, carting crews, maintenance technicians, cargo, and curiosity seekers from the relative safety of the Slips to the more hazardous anchorages nearest the Jackrab Hole. The costs of docking facilities increase the farther from the Jackrab Hole they are. Berths (If you can call them that) closest to the hole, as well as those in the region known as the Tethers, are the cheapest. The Anjiliacs occasionally send parties of thugs to collect fees from captains and crews who persist in mooring at the far end of the Cove in an attempt to get a free ride. Transporting cargo from such distant anchorages can be expensive, so smugglers, pirates, and merchants wishing to move significant cargos make an effort to dock closer to the Slips. The Slips are a series of well-accommodated docks that offer more comforts than might reasonably be expected in any shadowport. Epsis maintains control of the Slips, offering excellent support services and replenishment assistance to captains who require it. Costs are exorbitant, compared to equivalent services offered in more legitimate environs, but in Point Nadir you truly get what you pay for. Depending on the circumstances surrounding a vessel's entrance into the shadowport, it is likely that a gang of "Shadowport security operatives" pays it a visit, both to collect fees and inspect crew and cargo. In the case of newcomers, such treatment is virtually guaranteed. Docking Services and Expenses in Point Nadir Below lists sorts of prices a ship captain can expect to pay in Point Nadir. (This table can also be used for other shadowports across the galaxy, at the Gamemaster's discretion.) Mooring prices vary based on the size of the ship being berthed, as indicated. Government Point Nadir is controlled by a loose triumvirate of criminal factions. Though ostensibly allied, these three groups are constantly vying with one another for greater control of Point Nadir. Publicly, they enforce the shadowport's laws, collect tariffs and associated fees, and keep the economy running smoothly. Behind the scenes, they compete with one another for business and influence. The Anjiliac Clan Affiliation Page: The Anjiliac Clan The most powerful of Point Nadir's syndicates is a group of spice-dealers and flesh merchants led by Zietta the Hutt. Zietta the Hutt's organization, which is part of The Hutt Kajidics, specializes in the spread of vice throughout Point Nadir and beyond. The clan's primary sources of illicit income are slaves, spice, extortion, and gambling. Epsis Affiliation Page: Epsis The most technologically adept of the syndicates in Point Nadir is controlled by an Ubese technocrat named Liash Keane. Keane's expertise includes high tech black marketeering, money laundering, and slicing. Keane's organization is known as Epsis, named for a now-extinct species of predatory bird that was originally native to Uba III. The Epsis was a migratory species, moving alone or in mated pairs, and never staying one place for long. The Sable Dawn Affiliation Page: The Sable Dawn The smallest, yet perhaps most dangerous, of Point Nadir's criminal groups is known as The Sable Dawn. Though The Sable Dawn supports fewer than one hundred members, they maintain a toehold in Point Nadir's bureaucracy through secrecy. Of their membership, only a small number are known to the public at large. The rest are shadowy agents posing as typical citizens, holding down regular jobs on any number of planets throughout The Mid Rim and The Outer Rim. Geography Category:Planets